490: Beast Mode Days & Fluffy Days
This week on the Daily Pep! we're looking at some practical tips to get out of your own way! On today's episode we're diving into Beast Mode Days & Fluffy Days.
Episode transcript:
Good morning, Daily Peppers, and a very happy Monday. It is a delight to kick off the week with you. So this week on the Daily Pep, I am sharing some of my favorite practical ways to get shit done in a way that doesn't make you feel like shit and get out of your own way. So I thought we would kick off this week talking a bit about energy levels and how much we expect ourselves to get done. Now, like a lot of us, I have struggled with burnout and that vicious cycle of pushing yourself too hard to the point of actually feeling quite poorly, resting because I have to, and then doing it all over again. And. And like always, I'll be very transparent and share with you that there were times in my life that I wore that as a bit of a badge of honor. It was proof of just how hard I was working, that nobody could mistake the effort I was putting in.
And it was a bit of an ego thing. But since I burned out really hard about eight years ago, a lot has changed. And I won't say that I never get burnt out anymore, but I can tend to spot when I'm pushing myself too hard. And rather than just keep going, I tend to be more able to catch myself in time. And it's a sign that I actually need to be more compassionate to myself rather than prove myself. And one of the biggest things that I've learned along the way is this idea of beast mode. Now, if you've ever had a day or a couple of hours where you have got shit done and you feel like superwoman and you are like, holy shit, look at me go. And you are feeling pretty damn impressed with yourself, you'll know what I mean.
It's those days where you seem to be able to fly through your to do list and more with so much ease, and you then start to question what you've been doing all these other days. Now, when I have a day like this, I tend to call it my beast mode day. And I never know when they're going to happen, but when they happen, they feel really good. And I get really intrigued by what if every day could look like this, I start thinking of just how much more I could get done. And it is so easy to go down the rabbit hole of thinking, well, what am I doing the rest of the time? On those days, I go to bed pretty tired, and I'm like, right, let's do it all over again tomorrow. And then I'm always a little bit surprised. I am absolutely just knackered the next day, which really isn't a surprise, but you know what our brains are like at finding ways to beat ourselves up. But rather than go down that quite horrible rabbit hole, I've just come to realize that beast mode days are beast mode days.
And the day after, I'm probably going to feel exhausted and to actually expect that and to take them as the joy they are at the time, but also to remember that it is absolutely not realistic or fair to myself to expect myself to pull that off every single day. I think after a beast mode day, what you probably need the most is a recovery day or a bit of a fluffy day. And also know that many days are going to be somewhere in between the two, and that's okay. And that's actually pretty damn normal. So I thought I would share a bit about my beast mode days because I think we've all had those experiences where we get so much shit done and we start to reflect on how we can make our life more like that. And of course there are small tweaks you can do and there's incremental changes you can make that are probably going to make you more productive. But to expect yourself to operate on that level every single day is to treat yourself like a machine and not the fabulously imperfect human that you are.
There is nothing wrong with you. And if you have beast mode days, that says absolutely nothing about the rest of your days. Because you're trying your best and your best is fucking brilliant. And I just invite you to consider what if we really embraced our beast mode days when they turn up and really enjoy them without the pressure or expectation that they become the new norm.
So have a think about how that applies to your own life. By all means, see if you can spot the patterns of what is more likely to lead to a beast mode day, because that can be a really fun way of figuring out what really puts us in our flow. And give yourself compassion to the fact that your best is going to look differently every single day. And that is okay. Beast mode is great. Fluffy days are needed. And you on a day to day basis, you're doing so much better than you think you are. I'll see you tomorrow.
Episode transcript automatically produced by Castmagic.io
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The Daily Pep! is the rebel-rousing, daily podcast for couragemakers, creative, multi-passionate and unconventional women. If you’re surrounded by people who don’t get who you are or what you do, if you want reminders you’re on the right path (no matter how scary it feels), or you’re sick of being your very own worst enemy, this is the podcast for you. Every weekday, your host - writer, coach and professional rebel-rouser - Meg Kissack helps you build a creative and wholehearted life, one day at a time. Through short and snappy insights, reminders and stories, The Daily Pep! is here to remind you you’re not alone, and that everything changes when you believe you matter. Each episode is short and snappy, designed to fit in with (or help you start) your habits and routines
